Evan Wright

Title: Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War

Author: Evan Wright

ISBN: 9780425200407

Page: 369

Format: Paperback

Another nameless town, another target for First Recon It s only five in the afternoon, but a sandtorm has plunged everything into a hellish twilight of murky, red dust On rooftops, in alleyways lurk militiamen with machine guns, AK rifles and the odd rocket propelled grenade Artillery bombardment has shattered the town s sewers and rubble is piled up in lagoons of humaAnother nameless town, another target for First Recon It s only five in the afternoon, but a sandtorm has plunged everything into a hellish twilight of murky, red dust On rooftops, in alleyways lurk militiamen with machine guns, AK rifles and the odd rocket propelled grenade Artillery bombardment has shattered the town s sewers and rubble is piled up in lagoons of human excrement It stinks Welcome to IraqWithin hours of 9 11, America s war on terrorism fell to those like the 23 Marines of the First Recon Battalion, the first generation dispatched into open ed combat since Vietnam They were a new breed of American warrior unrecognizable to their forebears soldiers raised on hip hop, Internet porn, Marilyn Manson, video games and The Real World, a band of born again Christians, dopers, Buddhists, and New Agers who gleaned their precepts from kung fu movies and Oprah Winfrey Cocky, brave, headstrong, wary, and mostly unprepared for the physical, emotional, and moral horrors ahead, the First Suicide Battalion would spearhead the blitzkrieg on Iraq, and fight against the hardest resistance Saddam had to offer Generation Kill is the funny, frightening, and profane firsthand account of these remarkable men, of the personal toll of victory, and of the randomness, brutality, and camaraderie of a new American war.

Recent Comments "Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War"

Everyone walks around in skivvies, scratching their balls. Vigorous public ball scratching is common in the combat-arms side of the Marine Corps, even among high-level officers in the midst of briefings.Beautiful. I am very touched by the above, and I am not even being sarcastic while writing it down. It is a sign that I have just spend ten hours reading about belonging and brotherhood that can only be seen inside war zones, inside shared life-and-death situations. The dynamic and the hierarchy, [...]

Generation Kill by Evan Wright is a firsthand account of a reporter embedded with the Marines of Force Recon Battalion during the invasion of Iraq. Jam-packed with details,this novel portrays the struggles and terrors that the marines face in the war.From weapons malfunctioning to choices that the higher ranking officers have caused,Evan Wright explains everything that happened during his two months with the marines. Throughout the story, the marines encounter problems with their enemies.Sometim [...]

Ten things I learned from Generation Kill that I really should have known already: 10.) A shamal is a wind blowing over Iraq and the Persian Gulf that can cause horrible dust storms. The resulting weather can make things like driving, sleeping in the open, and not getting putrid, red eye infections difficult. 9.) Sabka is a geological phenomenon particular to the Middle East which appears to be plain desert, with a crust of sand about an inch thick, but beneath that crust is quicksand made of ta [...]

US Marines. Jarheads. Devil Dogs. Many names to call them but none could really embody the essence and the spirit. Compared with the other military branches in the US Armed Forces, I think this one is the most unique, and thus most intriguing. This memoir told a story about the marines based on direct view from a reporter (from Rolling Stones magazine) who was embedded in the First Recon Battalion, one of the first units deployed in and entering Iraq in 2003. Cynics or critics may say this is a [...]

There is something that Evan Wright was able to do in writing this book that the other authors, even the award winners like Dexter Filkins and Steve Fainaru, were not able to do and that is extricate himself from the story and allow it to be solely about the men. Wright is so invisible in the mix that you forget he is riding along in the humvee with the rest of the recon marines. He is able to so skillfully express who these men were and what they are all about, that the entire work reads like f [...]

Very good book, I really enjoyed it. An intriguing insight into modern warfare through the eyes of an attached journalist with no previous military experience at alld, bizarrely, from Rolling Stone magazine of all things? It was interesting to read about the authors STEEP learning curve when it came to basic things that a soldier takes for granted. Initially, he was clearly seen as a burden and someone not to be trusted but, as the book progresses, it's nice to see how he developed a bond with t [...]

I knew virtually nothing about the Iraq invasion--especially the conditions on the ground. This book made much of the military strategy (and some of the most shocking, sad, and funny moments) quite real to me. It did so without losing me in military terminology, or seeming patronizing by dumbing it down *too* much. The author's tone was appropriately masculine and efficient.My greatest commendation goes to the author's contrast between the inexperienced young men going in and their more jaded se [...]

I had no idea this book would be so funny, but for real, it's hilarious. Also exhausting and enraging and painful. And truly excellent, for the record.For anyone who doesn't remember, this is the account of a reporter embedded in a marine recon unit during the invasion of Iraq. And by "embedded" I mean he rode in the lead car that was repeatedly the northernmost American presence in Iraq, and the very tip of the invading spear. There are a lot of firefights recounted – or more accurately, a lo [...]

I am still digesting this book and will for awhile, I suspect. The author was an embedded reporter in First Recon Marine battalion in the early days of the Iraq war. First Recon Marines do just that---go in first, before anybody else, and open up the way. The descriptions are brutal, graphic and sometimes unbearable. As a woman and a mother, I was devastated at the sights and sounds and experiences of these young men. Iraq is hell for everyone--soldiers and Iraqi citizens alike. For the American [...]

Disclaimer: This reviewer is a gentle and peaceful person. Truly. Interestingly, although I posted this review almost a year ago, I haven't heard from a person ("community manager") until now about it. Possibly because Evan Wright has become a " author"? Maybe that has nothing to do with it, but possibly wants to become "Lifetime Books" or literally, "Good Reads" - they don't want critical reviews or anything negative written about their " authors". In the spirit of placating folks, I am cheer [...]

This book is not for everyone. It is a confronting and blunt tale, but I got a lot out of it. Hence, the five stars I gave it.Evan Wright does not censor himself and nor should he. It is real, very real, to censor it would just be wrong. I came to this book after watching the mini series. I wanted to see how different they were. I found out that they are not different at all. What happens, and what is said, in the mini series, happens in the book. Well done Evan Wright.

Disclaimer: I'm a virulent peacenik who believes the only just US military actions in the past 50 years were Bosnia and the initial Afghanistan liberation, and both for the same reason—stopping totalitarian genocide (Afghani misogynistic tyranny). I believe we use the military career as a means to pacify our permanent underclass—their only hope for the true opportunity we won't give them otherwise. I am so radical that I believe we should reduce our military by 60%.I listened to this book be [...]

I saw the HBO miniseries first, and then rushed out to find the book as soon as I could. The book gives a broader view of events than the series, as the writer goes out for extra interviews/research/reporting to get more information. He explains a lot of the 'whys?' I ended up with while watching the story play out on tv. The book turns out as readable as the series is watchable, coming across as a not-so family friendly road trip set in the backdrop of a war.I loved this book. So. Much. The sol [...]

Wright, a Rolling Stone journalist joins the Marine Corps First Recon (special-ops-trained warriors programmed to kill) as they become the first men on the ground during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.I’ve tried to read Dispatches and A Rumor Of War before and never made it past the first few chapters – they were too disheartening, too leaden for a wine-sipping liberal like me to get much out of. By contrast, I found myself utterly immersed in Generation Kill and always eager to pick it up again [...]

This is an incredible book of combat and the "fog of war." The book reads like such great fiction that if he didn't mention it you wouldn't realize that the author was there for the whole thing. The narratives of combat are enthralling, sobering, and thought-provoking. Two of the most fascinating things about this book are: (1) the "fog of war" aspect, where even though these soldiers are incredibly eager to get into combat, when they do they seem disillusioned by the fact that, sometimes, the p [...]

3.5 stars. This is an account of Marines of First Recon Battalion in the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. A representative excerpt:”Their wild fire continues. Then the voice of Captain America comes over the radio, quavering and cracking. ‘Enemy, enemy! They’ve got us on both sides!’‘Oh, my God!’ Person says. ‘Is he crying?’‘No, he’s not,’ Colbert replies, cutting off what will likely be a bitter tirade about Captain America. In recent days, Person has pretty much forgotten h [...]

A couple of Marines who were in Iraq told me to read this book because it accurately described a bunch of young kids invading Iraq. So I guess the fact that I thought the book was just OK would be more of how I feel about Iraq than how the well the book is written. These marines go into Iraq and meet very little resistance. There are no major battles, no overcoming of impossible odds, and no stories of heroism. I have become accustomed to being overwhelmed with bravery and heroic acts when I rea [...]

Wow. This was an incredible book. It was funny and yet heart-wrenching, and it was extremely difficult to put down when I needed to be doing other things like studying for exams. Evan Wright actually has a lot in common with Bill Bryson when it comes to his writing style. Instead of Katz providing essential humor in Walk in the Woods, Wright has every American soldier in the group to add those jaw-dropping "wait, did that actually happen?!" moments.Loved it, highly recommend.

The author, a journalist at “Rolling Stone,” rides fully embedded with Marines of the First Recon Battalion as they spearhead the initial drive into Iraq, blazing through small towns and dealing with jihadists, fayadeen, and forward observers disguised as civilians. They sleep in “Ranger graves” (small holes in the sand) and talk nonchalantly as tracers whizz by overhead. With a keen ear for rough dialogue and a flair for making his subjects seem real and three-dimensional, Wright depict [...]

Evan Wright was a reporter from Rolling Stone who got into the back of a Humvee with a group of Recon Marines and wrote about them tearing through Iraq in the early days of "Operation Iraqi Freedom." The book is equal parts astounding, shocking, and hilariously funny. Wright doesn't pull any punches regarding the men he's covering. They swear (a lot). They talk about how they enjoy killing (a lot). They bitch and moan and even get mildly mutinous at their superiors. The result is a book that's s [...]

Twenty-five years from now, this book will be the defining piece on the average grunts in the run up and initial invasion of Iraq. It started as a series of articles that the author, who was embedded with a company of Marines, did for Rolling Stone (ironically, it was a Marine Recon unit, which is the rough equivalent to the Army Rangers in the Marines, but they get stuck driving north in Humvees just like everyone else). The articles evolved into something more and this book in the result. Like [...]

Giving "Generation Kill" a full 5-star rating after giving "As I Lay Dying" and "Slaughterhouse 5" 4-star ratings feels a tad lazy, really. I could pretend to be fancier than I am, and claim that I enjoyed my first foray (!) into Faulkner and Vonnegut more than I enjoyed this 350 page, easily digestible account of some totally bad ass Marines fighting in Iraq, but I won't. I liked the Faulkner and Vonnegut books, sure, and I intend to read more by each author, but "Generation Kill" resonates mor [...]

I really enjoyed this book. It really personified the individuals who went in during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the hardships that they had to endure. I believe that one of the most important ideas or theme in this book is the impact of decisions made by high up commissioned officers and the effect that they have on enlisted Marines. When they decide to charge through hostile areas with limited equipment and therefore change the Rules of Engagement and the Marines on the front lines have to f [...]

The book's title hints at exploring differences between this generation and previous generations as to how they approach and perform in war. The author explored this theme just a little bit early in the book, but then sets it aside in favor of a traditional war correspondent's diary. I didn't really hear a compelling argument as to how these young men were fundamentally different than their American counterparts in other wars. Apart from the weapons technology, I might just as easily have been l [...]

Evan Wright, a journalist, joined a group of Recon Marines for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The book tells their and his story. Sometimes the soldiers come across as complete arses but at other times their humanity shows when they cry about injured children and adhere to the 'warrior code' by not shooting civilians if they can help it. It's also interesting to see the invasion from Wright's POV as a civilian and how he copes with the Marines' lifestyle. It's not a stuffy political book but quit [...]

I didn't even know this book was written, mostly because I am usually deployed. And when I am deployed, I don't want to read about being deployed. I stick to fantasy and religious books. And the classics. I can just imagine some Roman officer on the plains of Gaul kicking his feet up on the table and reading The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus. So, anyways, I get back from my latest trip to Baghdad (15 months this time; maybe next time I can do two years if I am super lucky!) and after a [...]

This an in-depth look at one of the first platoons into Iraq in 2003, through the eyes of a writer embedded with the Marines. Evan Wright describes the physical encounters and the moments in between, providing a true sense of the soldiers' camaraderie and mentality. The book has a fuller perspective on the complicated military politics than the very good mini-series did, often explaining the rationale of higher-ups, whether it makes sense or not. War has many positives and negatives and just as [...]